The present invention relates to safety devices for vehicle steering wheels, and in particular to such safety devices which provide an impact absorbing member disposed above the hub and spokes of the steering wheel to dissipate energy upon impact by a vehicle operator on the occurrence of a collision.
Prior art safety devices, designed to provide impact energy absorbing protection when a vehicle operator is thrown forward onto the steering wheel upon the occurrence of a collision, have been designed for impacts by the entire upper body of the operator. Such prior art safety devices have therefore been designed for impacts in which the impact area is considerably large, corresponding to the entire upper body. Such impacts occur when the upper body is not restrained.
With the increased use of vehicle safety belts, particularly those which include a belt across the upper body of the vehicle occupants, such as a shoulder belt, the frequency of driver impact on the steering wheel with the chest has been considerably decreased. In a severe collision, however, even when an operator is using a seat and shoulder belt, it is possible for his head to be thrown forward in a nodding motion and impact upon the steering wheel. Motion of the vehicle steering wheel upwards and toward the back of the vehicle upon the occurrence of a severe collision can contribute to the tendency of the driver's head to strike the hub or spokes of the steering wheel. Prior art impact energy absorbing members on steering wheels have not been designed for impact by the head of the vehicle operator, which involves a relatively small impact surface area as compared to impact by the upper body of the driver. When a vehicle operator's head impacts upon such prior art safety devices, the safety device may yield too readily causing the occupant's head to strike the internal portions of the steering hub, or the spokes of the steering wheel, resulting in injury.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety device for a vehicle steering wheel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a safety device which prevents injury, even upon impact of a driver's head onto the steering wheel.